Container closure



y 1962 F. A. TERWILLIGER 3,032,226

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Dec. 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/aZ IN VEN TOR. FLOYD A. TERW/LL/GER 4 TT ORIVE Y May 1, 1962 F. A. TERWILLIGER CONTAINER CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23, 1960 ////////rll/r/l I! I,

INVENTOR.

FLOYD A. TERWlLL/GER rates 1 nit The present invention relates to containers and to closures therefor, and more particularly to medicinal vials and packaging jars, and to closures such as are used on medicinal vials, packaging jars, champagne bottles, and other containers where it is required that the contents be kept sealed and/or air-tight. In a still more specific aspect, the present invention relates to plastic lock-on closures for so safeguarding the contents of a bottle, vial, packaging jar or the like.

Plastic corks or stoppers have been proposed for use in bottling beverages. It is difiicult, however, to seal a champagne bottle securely with a plastic cork so that the cork will not accidentally let go under pressure of the gases in the bottle, and yet be removable readily, when the contents of the bottle are to be consumed.

A similar problem exists with reference to the capping of medicinal vials, packaging jars and the like. In many cases, it is necessary or desirable to secure a cap on a medicinal vial or packaging jar so that the user of the vial or jar can be certain that it has not been refilled, and that its contents have not been contaminated, adulterated, or tampered with. Plastic vial and packaging jar caps are in common use; but so far as is known, none of the types of such caps heretofore used has been of a construction to lock on a via or packaging jar securely against tampering, and yet to be readily removable by the ultimate user or consumer of the contents of the vial or packaging jar. Hence, where a vial or jar is to be sealed until ready for use, it has been customary to use a metal cap. These are, however, costly and moreover are sometimes difficult to remove.

One object of the present invention is to provide a plastic cap or stopper suitable for use on a vial, jar, or bottle which will securely seal the container with which it is used, yet be readily removable therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic cap or stopper which is resilient and which can readily be snapped onto a container to lock thereon, but which cannot be removed without destroying its lock-on qualities so that it will be obvious that the container has been opened, thereby assuring the purity of the contents of the container. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic cap or stopper for containers which has a lock-on skirt that fits over the neck of a container and that is so constructed that the skirt can readily be torn away from the rest of the cap or stopper to permit removal of the cap or stopper from the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cap or stopper of the character described which has a tear tab integral with its skirt which can be gripped to enable a person readily to tear the skirt from the rest of the cap or stopper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vial or packaging jar constructed to be used with a cap or stopper of the character described so that the contents of the vial or jar will be securely sealed until opened, and, when opened, will disclose the fact of having been opened.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a plastic cork or stopper of the character described for use on champagne bottles, which has a lock-on skirt and a tear tab for tearing the skirt from the rest of the cork or stopper, and which is so constructed that the pressure of the gas inside a bottle will help lift the cork or stopper 3,032,226 Patented May 1, 1962 out of the bottle with a pop but without such force as to endanger anyone.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plastic cap or stopper having a lock-on skirt which can be torn off to permit removal of the cap or cork from a container but which is so constructed that sufficient of the cap or stopper will be left after the skirt is torn off, to permit the cap or stopper to be used still as a nonsealing cap or stopper for the container so as to prevent any contents remaining in the container from being ac-' cidentally spilled out.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and from the recital of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a vial or jar stopper or closure made according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of this closure;

FIG. 3 is a section through this closure taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of this closure;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section through this closure taken on the line 55 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale of a vial or packaging jar such as this closure is intended to be used with;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the closure assembled on the vial or packaging jar;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of closure made according to this invention and intended to be used on a conventional champagne bottle;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of this modified form of closure;

FIG. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of FIG. 8 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of this closure; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view showing this closure applied to a conventional champagne bottle.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, and first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 inclusive, 20 designates generally the closure; and 21 designates generally a vial or packaging jar with which the closure is intendedvto be used. This vial or packaging jar may be made of glass or a suitable plastic. It has a cylindrical side wall 22 (FIG. 7) for the major part of its height, and a flat bottom 23. Around the mouth of the vial or jar the side wall of the vial or jar is not cylindrical, however, but externally has conical surfaces of two different cone angles joining one another and connected to the main cylindrical portion of the vial or jaw by an external shoulder. The upper of these conical surfaces 24 has a slight cone angle; and beneath this surface 24, the external peripheral surface of the vial or jar tapers sharply downwardly and outwardly, constituting a conical surface 25 of larger cone angle forming a rib or bead that terminates in a plane shoulder 26 at its juncture with the main side wall 22 of the vial or jar.

The closure 20 has a fiat top portion 30 (FIG. 3) which has an integral annular collar 31 projecting upwardly therefrom. Depending downwardly from the top wall 30 are an inner annular skirt portion 32, which is intended to engage within the Wall 22 of the vial or jar, and an outer approximately annular skirt portion 34, which is intended to engage around the outside of wall 22 at the upper end thereof. Outer skirt portion 34 is spaced radially from the inner skirt portion 32. The inside surface 35 (FIGS. 3 and 5) of the skirt portion 32 may be of straight profile and cylindrical. The outside surface 36 of the skirt portion 32 is preferably conical and converges downwardly toward the inside surface 35 of this skirt portion. The collar portion 31 is preferably knurled around its periphery.

The skirt portion 34 of the closure has a generally cylindrical outside surface; and this surface is of larger outside diameter than the outside diameter of collar portion 31. It is joined to collar portion 31 by a rounded shoulder portion 39. The inside wall of the skirt portion 34 is also generally cylindical except that around its lower end it has an internal rib 38 which is adapted to engage under the shoulder 26 of the vial or jar to lock the cap on the vial or jar when the cap is in position. The inside of skirt portion 34 joins the under face of top portion 30 at right angles as indicated at 37 in FIGS. 3 and 5, thus making a sharp corner; and the inside diameter of the portion of skirt 34 above rib 38 is much larger than the inside diameter of collar portion 31, in fact, approaching the outside diameter of collar portion 31. Hence, skirt 34 above rib 38 is of relatively thin section and the portion of the skirt between inside upper corner 37 and the point where the outside round 39 joins the ribbed or knurled collar 31 is of still thinner section. This is What enables the skirt 34 to be torn from the rest of the cap, once the tear is started, as will be described further hereinafter.

To enable the tear to be started, skirt portion 34 has an external V-notch 40 in it; and alongside this V-notch the skirt portion has a dependent integral tear tab 42. This tear tab is provided with a plurality of spaced ribs 43 on both outsideand inside in order better to be able to grip it. Just above the V-notch 40, the collar portion 31 is provided with an external vertical groove 41 which extends from the top of the collar down to the top of the skirt portion 34. At the base of groove 41 there is an opening or slot 45 provided in the cap just within and in alignment with the V-notch 40. The V-notch, and this opening or slot 45 make for easy tearing of the skirt portion 34 from the rest of the cap when the tear tab 42 is pulled'to the right in FIG. 1.

' In placing a cap 20 on the vial or jaw 21, it is simply pushed down over the top of the vial or jar so that the skirt portion 32 engages inside of the mouth of the vial or jar and the rib 38 of the skirt portion 34 snaps over and under the shoulder 26. In shoving the cap down on the vial or jar, the slightly conical portion 24 around the mouth of the vial or jar serves as a guide to start the skirt portion 34 onto the vial or jar and to expand it slightly; and after the rib 38 of the cap has ridden down over the conical portion 25 of the vial or jar, it will snap under the shoulder 26 to hold the cap securely on the vial or jar and prevent its disengagement therefrom. No matter how hard the cap is pulled upwardly it cannot be taken off the vial or jar. To remove the cap, the skirt portion 34 must be torn away by taking the tab 42. between the thumb and finger and pulling to the right as viewed in FIG. 1. With a good pull, the slight amount of stock left in the skirt portion 34- behind the V-notch 46 and between corner 37 and round 39 breaks away, and the plastic skirt portion 34 can readily be severed from the collar portion 31 by continuing to pull on the tab.

Once the skirt 34 has been torn away the cap 20 is no longer a lock-on cap However, it can be replaced on the vial or jar. The skirt portion 32 will fit snugly enough in the mouth of the vial or jar to hold the cap on the vial or jar against accidental displacement.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 12 inclusive is quite similar, so far as the closure is concerned, to that previously described except for the adaptation to a conventional champagne bottle.

50 denotes the stopper or cap for the champagne bottle, and 51 denotes a conventional champagne bottle. This bottle has ;;a bulbous lip 76 around its mouth, and

an external peripheral rib '75 formed on its neck below its mouth.

The stopper or cap has a hollow shank portion 54, a head 52, and a skirt 55. In use, the shank portion 54 is adapted to be forced down into the neck of the bottle, and the skirt fits around the outside of the neck of the bottle and locks thereto.

The shank 54 of the cap is formed with a tapered lower end as denoted at 56 for ready insertion into the neck of the bottle; and it is formed with three axially spaced peripheral ribs 57, 58 and 59 which engage inside the neck of the bottle,

The head 52 of the cork may be of any suitable shape and configuration. That shown has a flat dome 60 at its top and is provided around its periphery with spaced ribs 62. The spaces between these ribs provide seats for a conventional wire hood should the same be used on the bottle to secure the cork in place. They also provide a good finger grip making it easy to turn and twist the cork in the bottle.

The skirt portion 55 depends from the head and is joined to the shank portion 54 of the stopper by an annular fillet portion 63 (FIG. 10). This fillet portion is adapted to seat on the top of the bottle when the stopper is in use. Beneath the fillet the cap or cork is formed internally with a. shoulder 64, and the cap or cork is formed externally with a shoulder that is in line with shoulder 64. Shoulder 65 extends radially beyond the bottoms of the ribs 62; and shoulder 6 extends radially outwardly so that there is only a thin section of cap or cork between the two shoulders. This contributes to easy tearing of the skirt from the rest of the cap or cork as will be described hereinafter.

The skirt 55 depends below the shoulders 64 and 65 and is flared outwardly adjacent its bottom on its external surface, as denoted at 61. It is formed internally with an annular rib 66. The skirt has an external V-groove 67 in it which extends from the top to the bottom of the skirt. Alongside one side of this V-groove there is integral with the skirt a dependent tab 70, which has vertically displaced external and internal ribs 71. Just above the top of the V-groove 67 the head portion 52 of the stopper is slabbed off and provided with a slot 72. This slot together with the V-groove 67 makes it easy to start tearing away the skirt 55 from the rest of the stopper by pulling tab 70 to the right.

In use, the cap or cork is adapted to be driven intothe neck of the bottle by striking the top 60 of the dome 52 with a hammer either manually or with the hammer of an automatic corking machine. This drives the shank 54 of the cap or stopper into the neck of the bottle so that the fillet portion 63 will seat on the top edge of the bottle and over the peripheral head or rib 76 around the mouth of the bottle. The skirt 55 of the cork will extend down over the outside of the bottle and the flared portion 61 of the skirt will be distended outwardly by the rib formed on the bottle so that the internal rib 66 on the skirt will be bent upwardly to engage tightly beneath the rib 75 under tension thereby the more securely to hold the cap or cork in the bottle. The rib 66 will lock the cap or cork on the bottle and will cause the fillet portion 63 to seal tightly on the top of the bottle preventing loss of CO from the bottle. Due to the fact that the shank 54 is made hollow, the pressure of the gas inside the shank will press the ribs 57, 58 and 59 tightly against the inside wall of the neck of the bottle thereby more securely holding the cap or cork in the bottle.

When it is desired to remove the cap or cork from the bottle, the tab 70 is grasped and pulled to the right as viewed in FIG. 8. The V-notch 67 and the notch or slot 72 will act in effect as score lines, permitting the skirt 75 to be torn away from the rest of the stopper or cork at the shoulders '64'and 65. The stopper or cork can then be manipulated a little by grasping the ribs 62 of the head and twisting it back and forth. 'When released slightly,

the pressure of the gas in the bottle will force the stopper out with a pop, but the rings 57, 58 and 59 will slow the ejection of the cap or cork sufficiently so that there is no danger of anyone being hit in the eye by the cap or cork.

While the invention has been described in connection with caps for vials and packaging jarsv and to caps or stoppers for champagne bottles, it will be obvious that it may be applied to use also for other hollow receptacles. While the invention has been described then in connection with two specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination with a hollow container which has an outside wall, that has a slightly conical external surface at its top around the mouth of said container and an external surface of greater cone angle below and adjoining said slightly conical external surface, and terminating at an external shoulder connecting the second-named external surface with the adjoining lower portion of said outside Wall, said shoulder having a planar annular lower face, of a resilient, plastic closure on said container, said closure having a head covering the mouth of said container, a depending hollow shank inserted in said mouth, and a skirt around said outside wall, said head having a portion which connects said shank and said skirt and which rests on the top edge of the container around the mouth of the container, said skirt having an internal rib, the internal diameter of said skirt measured diametrally across at said rib being less than the diameter of said second-named external surface at said shoulder whereby said closure will snap over and lock under said shoulder to lock said closure on said container, the portion of said closure which connects said head and said skirt being of relatively thin section whereby said skirt forms a tear strip and may be torn from said head at said connecting portion, said skirt having a digitally-engageable tear tab depending therefrom to assist in tearing said skirt from said head.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, wherein said head at its juncture with said skirt is of smaller external diameter than the external diameter of said skirt and the internal diameter of said skirt at its top is but slightly less than the external diameter of said head, whereby there is the portion of said closure at the juncture of said skirt and said head which is of thin section to permit said skirt readily to be torn from said head.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, wherein said skirt has an external groove in it extending from top to bottom of said skirt, one side of said tear tab extends along a line which is a prolongation of said groove, and said closure has a slot through it at the juncture of said skirt with said head and in line with said groove to aid in tearing said skirt from said head.

4. The combination with a bottle having a neck formed with a conical peripheral rib around it at a distance below its mouth terminating in a planar annular shoulder, of a resilient, plastic closure on said bottle, said closure having a head covering the mouth of said container, a depending hollow shank inserted in said mouth, and a skirt around said neck, said head having a portion which connects said shank and said skirt and which rests on the top edge of the container around the mouth of the container, said skirt having an internal rib engaging under said peripheral rib to lock said closure on said container, the portion of said closure which connects said head and said skirt being of relatively thin section whereby said skirt may be torn from said head at said connecting portion, said skirt having a digitally-engageable tear tab depending therefrom, said skirt being of slightly smaller internal diameter at said peripheral rib than the external diameter of the contacting portion of said peripheral rib at said shoulder whereby said closure will snap over and be held on said bottle under tension, said skirt joining said head internally with a sharp shoulder and joining said head externally with a sharp shoulder, and said skirt being of thin section between said shoulders to permit said skirt readily to be torn from said head.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein said skirt has a groove in it extending from top to bottom, one side of said tab is in line with said groove, and said head has a slot in it at its bottom also in line with and communicating with said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,813,650 Takahashi et al Nov. 19, 1957 2,950,834 Mazza Aug. 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,201,114 France July 6, 1959 816,787 Great Britain July 22, 1959 1,223,035 France J an. 25, 1960 

